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National Observer
2 days ago
- Science
- National Observer
Greenland and Iceland experienced record heat in May. What does that mean for the world?
Human-caused climate change boosted Iceland and Greenland 's temperatures by several degrees during a record-setting May heat wave, raising concerns about the far-reaching implications melting Arctic ice has for weather around the world, scientists said in an analysis released Wednesday. The Greenland ice sheet melted many times faster than normal during the heat wave, according to the analysis by World Weather Attribution, with at least two communities seeing record temperatures for May. Parts of Iceland saw temperatures more than 10°C (18 °F) above average, and the country set a record for its warmest temperature in May when Egilsstadir Airport hit 26.6°C (79.9 F) on May 15. The findings come as global leaders put more focus on Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, following US President Donald Trump's comments that he would like to annex the mineral-rich island. Burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation releases pollutants such as carbon dioxide that cause the planet to warm unnaturally fast. The Arctic is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. Even in today's climate, the occurrence of such a strong heat wave in the region is relatively rare, with a 1% chance of occurring in a year, the analysis said. But without human-caused climate change, such an event would be 'basically impossible,' said Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, one of the report's authors. The extreme heat was 40 times more likely compared to the pre-industrial climate. Global impacts from a melting Arctic Otto said this extreme weather event affects the world. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it releases massive amounts of fresh water into the salty oceans. Scientists say this could slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, an ocean current that circulates water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then the Arctic. Such a slowdown could disturb global climate and weather patterns. 'The nature of weather in the Northern Hemisphere is directly tied to what's happening in the Arctic, because that ice floor basically at the bottom of the atmosphere helps determine the weather patterns that we get,' said Waleed Abdalati, who heads an environmental sciences institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. He was not involved in the WWA analysis. The Greenland ice sheet and other ice covering the Arctic can influence where and when wind blows, how much water content the wind has and whether precipitation falls as rain or snow. Most of the melting of the Greenland ice sheet happens in June, July and August. The May heat wave means there will be a longer melting season this year. Melting ice sheets and glaciers also contribute to sea level rise that is threatening to flood coastlines globally and inundate low-lying island nations in the Pacific Ocean. Indigenous communities in Greenland are increasingly encountering dangerous travel conditions as sea ice that was once constantly frozen begins to thaw. Access to traditional hunting locations are lost, and sled dogs can no longer travel the same routes. Thawing permafrost can destabilize buildings and increases the risk of landslides and tsunamis caused by landslides. Greenland dismisses interest from US. Greenland was recently thrust onto the global stage with Trump's interest in annexing it. The Arctic island is rich with oil, gas and rare earth minerals, and its proximity to the US., Russia and Europe has geopolitical appeal. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has said Greenland 'will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.' Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, said it is essential that Greenlanders lead decisions about their territory. 'Certainly an important part of this conversation is about climate change and climate impacts,' she said. She was not involved in the WWA analysis. Moon said the climate impacts Greenland is experiencing, particularly the warming global temperatures, stem from well-identified sources such as highly polluting nations and industries. She said actions such as converting to solar or wind energy and switching to transportation that emits less pollution create positive climate impacts for people far away.
Mint
2 days ago
- Climate
- Mint
Iceland and Greenland sizzle: What does record heat in Arctic region mean for the world?
Human-caused climate change has led to an unnatural spike in Iceland and Greenland's temperatures by several degrees. The record-setting May heat wave raises concerns about the long-term implications of melting Arctic ice for weather around the world, reported AP. According to the report, the Greenland ice sheet melted many times faster than normal during the heat wave in May. Some parts of Iceland saw temperatures more than 10°C (18 °F) above average, and the country set a record for its warmest weather in May when Egilsstadir Airport hit 26.6°C (79.9 F) on May 15. The findings come as global leaders are focusing more on Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, following US President Donald Trump's comments that he would like to seize the mineral-rich island. Burning fossil fuels in huge quantities to generate electricity and fuel transportation lead to the release of pollutants such as carbon dioxide that cause the planet to warm unnaturally fast. The Arctic is one of the fastest-warming places on the planet. Even in today's climate, the occurrence of such a strong heat wave in the Arctic region is relatively rare, with just 1 per cent chance of occurring in a year. Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, told AP that without human-caused climate change, such an event would be 'basically impossible'. Otto also told AP that the extreme weather event will affect the world. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it releases massive amounts of fresh water into the salty oceans. Scientists say this could slow down the 'Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation', an ocean current that circulates water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then the Arctic, said AP. Such a slowdown could disturb global climate and weather patterns. 'The nature of weather in the Northern Hemisphere is directly tied to what's happening in the Arctic, because that ice floor basically at the bottom of the atmosphere helps determine the weather patterns that we get,' Waleed Abdalati, who heads an environmental sciences institute at the University of Colorado Boulder told AP. The Greenland ice sheet and other ice covering the Arctic region can influence where and when wind blows, how much water content the wind has and whether precipitation falls as rain or snow, said AP. Usually, most of the melting of the Greenland ice sheet happens in June, July and August. The May heat wave means there will be a longer melting season this year, which can threaten lives. Melting ice sheets and glaciers can also cause the sea level to rise, threatening to flood coastlines globally and flood low-lying island nations in the Pacific Ocean, said AP. Indigenous communities in Greenland are increasingly dealing with dangerous travel conditions as melting ice means that access to traditional hunting locations are lost, and sled dogs can no longer travel the same routes. The situation can also destabilise buildings and increase risks of landslides and tsunamis caused by landslides, reported AP. Trump recently showed interest in annexing Greenland due to its rich reserves of oil, gas and rare earth minerals. The island's proximity to the US, Russia and Europe also has a geopolitical appeal. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has said Greenland 'will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone', as reported by AP. The deputy lead scientist at the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, Twila Moon, told AP it is important that Greenlanders lead decisions about their own territory. 'Certainly an important part of this conversation is about climate change and climate impacts,' she said. Moon told AP the climate impacts Greenland is experiencing, particularly the warming global temperatures, stem from well-identified sources such as highly polluting nations and industries. She said actions such as converting to solar or wind energy and switching to transportation that emits less pollution can create positive climate impacts for people far away.
India Today
2 days ago
- Climate
- India Today
Greenland ice sheet melted 17 times faster than average in historic May heatwave
As Iceland experienced its seven hottest days in May due to global warming, neighbouring Greenland's ice sheet melted 17 times faster than the usual rate during last month's heatwave, the World Weather Attribution said in a new unusual development could trigger a catastrophic chain of events, including changes in ocean currents, accelerated global warming, extreme weather patterns, loss of marine biodiversity, and flooding due to rising sea study focusses on the seven hottest days in Iceland, and the single hottest day in May, recorded in weather stations at the eastern coast of Greenland and Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. In a first, Egilsstadir Airport, located in eastern Iceland, recorded a temperature of 26.6 degrees Celsius, the highest-ever temperature recorded in the month of May for the region. On the other hand, the Ittoqqortoormiit station in eastern Greenland recorded a temperature of 14.3 degrees Celsius on May 19, 13 degrees more than the average daily temperature for the a heat-wave in places accustomed to sustaining harsh winters can prove catastrophic, according to the findings of the report. An unprecedented heatwave, like the one the region experienced last month, can result in flooding, and damage infrastructure like roads and top of that, the breaking of ice caused due to global warming affects the food security and livelihoods of the local communities, dependent on fishing, hunting and travel, added the to changes in ocean currents and warmer seas, cold-water fishes like halibut and other species like shrimps are moving to the report, parts of the region experienced the heatwave due to a flow of warm air from the south, triggered by a high-pressure system near the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean (near Denmark) and a low-pressure system south of Cape Farewell, at the southern tip of Greenland. As a result, the area experienced warmer-than-usual weather. Although such events are not unheard of, what made this heatwave different was that it arrived earlier and lasted longer than Watch
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Science
- Hamilton Spectator
Greenland and Iceland saw record heat in May. What does that mean for the world?
Human-caused climate change boosted Iceland and Greenland 's temperatures by several degrees during a record-setting May heat wave, raising concerns about the far-reaching implications melting Arctic ice has for weather around the world, scientists said in an analysis released Wednesday. The Greenland ice sheet melted many times faster than normal during the heat wave, according to the analysis by World Weather Attribution, with at least two communities seeing record temperatures for May. Parts of Iceland saw temperatures more than 10°C (18 °F) above average, and the country set a record for its warmest temperature in May when Egilsstadir Airport hit 26.6°C (79.9 F) on May 15. The findings come as global leaders put more focus on Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, following U.S. President Donald Trump's comments that he would like to annex the mineral-rich island. Burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation releases pollutants such as carbon dioxide that cause the planet to warm unnaturally fast. The Arctic is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. Even in today's climate, the occurrence of such a strong heat wave in the region is relatively rare, with a 1% chance of occurring in a year, the analysis said. But without human-caused climate change, such an event would be 'basically impossible,' said Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, one of the report's authors. The extreme heat was 40 times more likely compared to the pre-industrial climate. Global impacts from a melting Arctic Otto said this extreme weather event affects the world. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it releases massive amounts of fresh water into the salty oceans. Scientists say this could slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation , an ocean current that circulates water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then the Arctic. Such a slowdown could disturb global climate and weather patterns. 'The nature of weather in the Northern Hemisphere is directly tied to what's happening in the Arctic, because that ice floor basically at the bottom of the atmosphere helps determine the weather patterns that we get,' said Waleed Abdalati, who heads an environmental sciences institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. He was not involved in the WWA analysis. The Greenland ice sheet and other ice covering the Arctic can influence where and when wind blows, how much water content the wind has and whether precipitation falls as rain or snow. Most of the melting of the Greenland ice sheet happens in June, July and August. The May heat wave means there will be a longer melting season this year. Melting ice sheets and glaciers also contribute to sea level rise that is threatening to flood coastlines globally and inundate low-lying island nations in the Pacific Ocean. Indigenous communities in Greenland are increasingly encountering dangerous travel conditions as sea ice that was once constantly frozen begins to thaw. Access to traditional hunting locations are lost, and sled dogs can no longer travel the same routes. Thawing permafrost can destabilize buildings and increases the risk of landslides and tsunamis caused by landslides. Greenland dismisses interest from U.S. Greenland was recently thrust onto the global stage with Trump's interest in annexing it. The Arctic island is rich with oil, gas and rare earth minerals , and its proximity to the U.S., Russia and Europe has geopolitical appeal. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has said Greenland 'will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.' Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center, said it is essential that Greenlanders lead decisions about their territory. 'Certainly an important part of this conversation is about climate change and climate impacts,' she said. She was not involved in the WWA analysis. Moon said the climate impacts Greenland is experiencing, particularly the warming global temperatures, stem from well-identified sources such as highly polluting nations and industries. She said actions such as converting to solar or wind energy and switching to transportation that emits less pollution create positive climate impacts for people far away. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
Greenland and Iceland saw record heat in May. What does that mean for the world?
Human-caused climate change boosted Iceland and Greenland 's temperatures by several degrees during a record-setting May heat wave, raising concerns about the far-reaching implications melting Arctic ice has for weather around the world, scientists said in an analysis released Wednesday. The Greenland ice sheet melted many times faster than normal during the heat wave, according to the analysis by World Weather Attribution, with at least two communities seeing record temperatures for May. Parts of Iceland saw temperatures more than 10°C (18 °F) above average, and the country set a record for its warmest temperature in May when Egilsstadir Airport hit 26.6°C (79.9 F) on May 15. The findings come as global leaders put more focus on Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, following U.S. President Donald Trump's comments that he would like to annex the mineral-rich island. Burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation releases pollutants such as carbon dioxide that cause the planet to warm unnaturally fast. The Arctic is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth. Even in today's climate, the occurrence of such a strong heat wave in the region is relatively rare, with a 1% chance of occurring in a year, the analysis said. But without human-caused climate change, such an event would be 'basically impossible,' said Friederike Otto, associate professor of climate science at Imperial College London, one of the report's authors. The extreme heat was 40 times more likely compared to the pre-industrial climate. Global impacts from a melting Arctic Otto said this extreme weather event affects the world. As the Greenland ice sheet melts, it releases massive amounts of fresh water into the salty oceans. Scientists say this could slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, an ocean current that circulates water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then the Arctic. Such a slowdown could disturb global climate and weather patterns. 'The nature of weather in the Northern Hemisphere is directly tied to what's happening in the Arctic, because that ice floor basically at the bottom of the atmosphere helps determine the weather patterns that we get,' said Waleed Abdalati, who heads an environmental sciences institute at the University of Colorado Boulder. He was not involved in the WWA analysis. The Greenland ice sheet and other ice covering the Arctic can influence where and when wind blows, how much water content the wind has and whether precipitation falls as rain or snow. Most of the melting of the Greenland ice sheet happens in June, July and August. The May heat wave means there will be a longer melting season this year. Melting ice sheets and glaciers also contribute to sea level rise that is threatening to flood coastlines globally and inundate low-lying island nations in the Pacific Ocean. Indigenous communities in Greenland are increasingly encountering dangerous travel conditions as sea ice that was once constantly frozen begins to thaw. Access to traditional hunting locations are lost, and sled dogs can no longer travel the same routes. Thawing permafrost can destabilize buildings and increases the risk of landslides and tsunamis caused by landslides. Greenland dismisses interest from U.S. Greenland was recently thrust onto the global stage with Trump's interest in annexing it. The Arctic island is rich with oil, gas and rare earth minerals, and its proximity to the U.S., Russia and Europe has geopolitical appeal. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has said Greenland 'will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone.' Twila Moon, deputy lead scientist at the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center, said it is essential that Greenlanders lead decisions about their territory. 'Certainly an important part of this conversation is about climate change and climate impacts,' she said. She was not involved in the WWA analysis. Moon said the climate impacts Greenland is experiencing, particularly the warming global temperatures, stem from well-identified sources such as highly polluting nations and industries. She said actions such as converting to solar or wind energy and switching to transportation that emits less pollution create positive climate impacts for people far away. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
